Two-way electric pulse communication system



y 5 c. T. SCULLY 2,597,038

TWO-WAY ELECTRIC PULSE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM Filed Nov. 9, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet l Nu m wmWfiw/znw/zmimiurl m 1 r N I r ur INVENTOR. CHARLES T/loMAS scuuy ATTORNEY y 20, 1952 c. T. SCULLY 2,597,038

TWO-WAY ELECTRIC PULSE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM I Filed No v. 9, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 DELAY V D 4y 5A 94A 45B 94 i T 1 M l INVENTOR. C/IHFAES mew/1s sway A TTOJPNE Y May 20, 1952 c. T. SCULLY 2,597,038

' TWO-WAY ELECTRIC PULSE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM Filed Nov. 9, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY May 20, 1952 c. T. SCULLY TWO-WAY ELECTRIC PULSE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 9, 1948 Y t-lblockingi arrangement fOr-zthe Patented May 20, 1952 UNITED ..1STAT TENT acre-res TWO-WAY'ELEGTRIC PULSE .COMMUNICA: TION'SYSTEM Charles Thomas Scully,-=London,---England,- as- I signor to International Standard ElectricCorl ,poration,- New..York, N. Y., acorporation of .1 Delaware "Application November 9; 194 Serial No. 59,165

In Great Britain November 19;'-1'94 7' The present inventionrelates to two-way- -electrio pulse: time modulation communication sys- 1 #tems in-which the pulses are transmitted inboth directions'over the-same communication medium. Such-a medium may, forexample, consist of, a single circuit in a co-axial or othertype of cable, 'or may. be a radio or otherxcarrier -wave channelusing the same carrier frequency for both diYECGlOIl-S.

The invention applies to two-way-communicm .:tion.:systems of' the kind in which signals. are I t transmitted only in one direction ata time,-such. .aforiexample, as ordinary: speech communication -.-'.systems, or half-duplex telegraph systems.

The principal ohiectof the invention is to econ-A.

' 'omise the time .available for the transmission -.:=of signals;:whercby the number ofchannels which can be operated over a transmission path having a g-iven band-width: may be increased without I degrading the quality or the transmission.

Two-way pulse communications stems h'ave hitherto-normallybeen treated asleffectively two separate. systemsoperating in opposite. direction. 'When acommon medium is used for both-directions it-hasbeen usualto dividethe transmitting timeinto' a number of equal channel-periods each of: which isallotted to a corresponding "channel pulse which mayoccur at any time in-the period, and halfthechannel periods are allotted to the transmission of signals one direction, and the other halftothe transmission of signals in-the other -dir'ection.' It-will be evident that in a speech orhalfduplex telegraph system,-half-the to-the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows pulse diagrams used in explaining wtheiprinciples or .the invention;

-" -Y-:Fig..2 showsa block schematic -circuit diagram ofa multichannel pulse communication system :accordirig to the invention;

Figs-3 shows a schematic circuit-diagram of a :.;.pulse'modulator employed in the system;

Fig: ishowsv a: schematic circuit diagram of a 'system receiver of the '3 10. Claims. (Cl;}179..15)'

Fig. 5 shows details of-thesynchronisingmulse separatoremployed in the. system Fig. 6 shows details of a gatingand demodulating arrangement employed in the. system;

Fig. lshows a pulse modulator. used in amodi- -fication ofthe system of Fig. 2 and i Fig. 8shows a schematiccircuit diagram of a sychronising signal: generator for. the. modified system.

- In this-specification, the systemrrecurrence "period T isthe period of repetition of. the .pulses employed to conveyithe signals of -one jchannel I in-one direction, and is also the signalling iperiod -'defined by thesychronising signals :whichmay be transmitted with the channel pulses. .The system of -.-the --invention has its chief application when speechsignals aretransmitte'd, as inthe -usual two way telephonee .With suchsignals-two --channel-pulse trains are used onebeing .transmitted in each direction. If the two correspond- 'ing channel intervals-are made adjacent in time at each terminal station, and providing -.thettime I of pulse travel between-any two stations visequal tothe system recurrence period, or an exact. multiple of -it,--these channel intervals will always be adjacent at any station ofthe system,- andto- -gether will-form the channel -periodallotted to the two-Way channel.

film pulses, in'eachchannel period, may be regarded astwinpulses, and are so-arrangedthat part ofthe "channel period is-common to-- both, P and may be occupied by eitherpulse whenthat pulse is =phasedby modulation. It the-pulse trains transmitted in each direction is so timed :that withm'aximumexeursion of the modulated pulse sufficient time is left to allow receptionand re-transmission oi-the-other unmodulated-pulse,

there will be no suppression-or interference or the pulses unless both-are modulated atoneandthe same-time: lithe channels are those' of a--two- .way-telephone-system only-one-person will speak at atime and hence only one of the-channel pulsetrains willbe modulated; should both speak together the result at eitheraend is unintelligible and the additional distortion: due to randomsuppression or interierence of the'pulses is of no importance. 1

Fig. 1 curve a; shows-one-system occurrence period at oneterminalstation A defined by two synchronisingsignals l and 2 each of which is 1 shown in the form of a closegroup of three similar pulses,- but they could take any, other desired form. Thesystem recurrence period isv divided into four-channel periods indicated by-thedotted outlines 3,4, 5, andi, each-channel periodcovering the maximum limits of time displacement of the twin channel pulses l and 8 which are shown in the unmodulated positions in period 3. The pulse 1 will be assumed to represent the pulse transmitted from station A to station E for channel l of the system, so that pulse 8 represents the pulse received at station A from station E for the same channel.

The shaded portion of 9 of the channel period represents that part of the period which can be entered by either pulse. It will be clear that in order to prevent any interference betwen the two pulses I and 8, the unmodulated time spacing should be slightly greater than the maximum time excursion in one direction of either pulse, produced by the modulation. The pulses l and 8 in their unmodulated positions thus divide the channel period into three nearly equal sections.

At station B, the arrangements will be the same except that the earlier pulse 1 will represent the pulse received from station A while the later pulse 8. will represent the pulse transmitted from station B.

It has already been stated that the arrangements must be such that the time taken for a;

pulse to travel from station A to station B is equal to the system recurrence period T or to an integral multiple of this period. It will be clear that when this condition is fulfilled a pulse such as l transmitted from station A at, say, t secondsafter the. commencement of the system recurrence period will arrive at station B also if seconds after the commencement of the next or a later system recurrence period, that is, it will be in the same relative position in the correspond-1i ing later channel period 3. Likewise, a pulse such as 8 transmitted from station B will arrive at stationA also in the same relative position in the corresponding later channel period 3. The two pulses in the same channel period at each station therefore always belong to the same channel. It will be noted that each pulse, when modulated, employs nearly two thirds of the channel period. If the system had been treated on the basis of using entirely separate channels for the two directions, then each pulse could only employ slightly less than half the channel period, so that only three channels could have been obtained instead of four on the assumption that the depth of time modulation employedisthe same in both cases. In other words, the arrangement described with reference to Fig. 1 curve a enables an increase of about 33 /3% in the number of channels to be obtained.

This arrangement assumes that when modulated, the pulse oscillates in time equally on either side of the unmodulated position. However, a greater saving of transmission time can be obtained if the pulse is arranged to be at one extremity of its movement when no signals arepassing-in the corresponding direction, the type of modulation being that described in U. S. Patent No. 2,308,639, issued to W. A. Beatty-C. T. Scully on January 19, 1943, for Signalling and Communication Systems."

This scheme is illustrated in curve b'Fig. 1. The channel periods 3, 4, 5, 6 are the same as in curve a but the idle positions of the pulses l and 8 are shown respectively at the beginning and end of the channel period 3. Arrangements which will be explained later are provided to shift the transmitted pulse 1 or 8 so that when unmodulated it occupies a position near the centre of the channel. period, directly transmission in the correspondingdirection begins. It will be seen that now the period of overlap 9 of the movements of the two pulses covers nearly the whole of the channel period. Comparing curves a and b, it will be seen that although four channels are shown in each case, the total possible excursion of either pulse in curve In is nearly 50% greater than in the case of curve a. Alternatively, for the practically same total excursion of either pulse, six channels could have been accommodated instead of four inthe case of curve b. As already mentioned, if two entirely independent channels had been used for transmission in the two direc tions, only three channels could have been accommodated, so the arrangement illustrated in curve b will provide nearly double the number of two way channels for the same quality of transmission.

As in the case of curve a, if pulse 1 represents the transmitted pulse at station A, then pulse 8 will represent the pulse received from station B. Likewise at station B, the transmitted and received pulses will be represented respectively by pulses 8 and 1. Also as in the case of curve a, the time taken for a pulse to travel from one station to the other should be equal to T, or to an integral multiple thereof.

Although, for illustration only four two-way channels have been assumed, it will be understood that the same principles apply when there are any number of such channels.

It should also be pointed out that only one train of synchronising signals I, 2 is essential for synchronising all the equipment at both stations, and they may be transmitted from station A or from station B as may be convenient.

As usual, when the same communication medium is used for both directions of transmission, arrangements should be made to ensure that the receiver is blocked when a pulse is transmitted. This may be done either by transmitting to the receiver a blocking pulse coincident with the transmitted pulse, in which case the receiver can receive pulses at any other time, or preferably, arrangements should be made to block the receiver for that portion of the channel period during which a received pulse may not occur, so giving an increased freedom from noise. If desired a single transmitter and receiver may be used for both directions. If for example, station B is a repeater station between two stations A and C, the repeated pulses will be transmitted back to station A as well as forward to station C. If the pulse 1 represents the transmitted pulse for the direction ABC, it will be evident that a pulse repeated back to A from B will arrive at A during the transmission period when the receiver A is blocked, and so will have no efiect. It will be clear also that the same transmitter may be used at a repeater station for transmitting both the pulse 1 for the direction ABC and the pulse 8 for the direction C--BA.

It will be clear that although it has been assumed that phase modulationofthe pulses is employed, it. is also possible to use duration modulation without any modification of the principles which have been explained.

When a cable circuit or dielectric guide is employed as the communication medium, reflections which are sometimes appreciable occur from small impedance irregularities at the joints. Such reflections will act in the same manner as pulses transmitted backwards from a repeater and it should preferably be contrived if possible so that a pulse reflected from a bad irregularity arrives during a transmission period, when the charmer-pulse communication system" accordin to' the inveiition In the block 'circuit dia'g ram, two terminal stations'A and B areshownjoined by any type of communication-pathl0; 1 Similar desfgnation number's, distinguished by the letters I; end Bz InputsignaIsappfied to terminals HA, ii 2A,-' I'3A mum appear at the output terminals [1B and IBBJ Likewisei input signals applied at terniinals I-I B, 12B, 13B and -l'dB'ap-iie pear at output terminals 15A, 1 65, IA and "I BA.

At terminal A, the terminals I IA to l 4A areicon- --nected to four similar channelpulse generators I9A2 A, 2IA- and'22A. These are' also applied 't'-=with suitable saw-tooth i waves hav'ing a recur-s r'ence period of T from a master generator 2 3A. The; circuit or one of the channel 'puIse g'enerators given" by. Fig. 3. -Block 24A repres'ents a --synchroni zing-pulse generator alsocontrolled by the mastei generator 23A.- I 'This generates' close 'i triplets o'f pulsessimilar to l and 2'01? Fig.- 1.

The pulses f-rom elements 1 9A to 22A are 24A i oombi'nedin the mixer 25A followed by an; amplifier zfiA an'd are tr ansmitted to the communicatioh path l 0J Curve-c, Fig.1 shows the'pulsesrahs'znittedfrom station A, in their unmodulated-pos'itlons.

A receiver blocking circuit-21A is'also oonnected to the output of the amplifier 26A and t detailsaregiven in 4. --It's function is to prevent the" transmitted pulses from entering the receiver, but allowing pulses received from the path l fl over conductor-18A to do so; It feeds the received pulses to -'a synchronisingpulse separator nA and alsothe -four-channel demodulating' circuits;- 'The'synchronising circuits obtained from the separator -29A are 'pas'sed through a suitable phasing device 3GA to control the 'master -g'enerator 23A if the 'switch- 3 IA 'is closed. 1'

'The channeldemodulating eircuits are-all 'simllar', and are connected in parallel to the blockirfgcireuit 21A. -The -first of them' eomprise's' 'a" gatingci'rcuit 32A controlled by-the master l generator-- 2 3A, a 'build-back circuit 33A" for producing duration modulated-'pulses,-a lowpa'ss filter- 34A and a speech frequency amplifier 35A-Connected to'the output t'ermi'n'all 5A. Fig. 5, *gives' details of a; circuit which includes both elements 32 A and 33A; No circuit' details are given ior 1 elements 23A, 25A; 26A, -A;-34A or A si'nce th'ese are well known' devices.

1 A "circuit for-the synchronising pulse'generator MAl adapted tdprodileetr iplets ofpulses is given :Fig. '2 gives a block circuit diagram ofa 'fo'urgenerator- 2 33 will then" be synchronised- 'to the J master generator 23A by the "synchronising signals; However, itma'y be convenient toi make that: station B sometimes the controllingstation, and I inthe case, all -th'e'ielements shown-{willbe providedyamd switcli 3lB is-closed w-hen A is to be :the controlling station; while-switch 3 IA 'is closed when B is to. be controlling station;

I The system can also be operated: i with Both switches closed. e In that 5 case the-frequency of boththe master generators 23A and 23B will be determined by the pulse transit time betweerlf the stations A and B, and in this way the system recurrence period T will be automatieally adjusted to accommodate small -changes n the pulse transmit time between" stations resulting from: "temperature changes or fromeany other cause.

a Details of one of the channel pulse generators similar to IQAare shown inFig'. 3'. In thisfigure,:-the speech 'si-gnal is applied t'o'the input termin'als 36 and 31 and'the output from the-master generator 23A is applied to'terminals 38 and 39.

:.The speech and saw-tooth waves'are'applied to i the grid of valve fi'through'a bridge network-of 1 equal resistances 4!; '42; 43 and 44; -The 'speech wave is applied by a transformer-connected between two diagonal points of' the-bridge, thus v preventing the ii "saw-tooth wave from n being :"Spe'ech frequencies; are prevented fromprodueing ."cross-t'alk in other channels'by giving -'the=master generator 23A -a low impedance at speech ffrey'quenci'es. The va1ve-40' acts" as a cathod follower, and vthe combined" 'speechend-saw- 0th =waveforms appear across the -'oath'ode' resistanc'e'45.

" Theanode ofthe'valve 4'0iseonnecteddiretly to -the p'os ition terminal" 46 "fort-he 'higlzl tfis'ion source Knot 1 shown) the" negative :terminar 41 therefore being "grounded; Bia's for *the con'trol grid is obtained from a: potentiometer is eon- 'ne'eted in series with "a resistance- 49"- between fterminals- 45 and 41; fThe' lower cOrner icif-Fthe bridge isconnected to the potentiometer, contact and toground thro'ugh a by-pass condenser 50.

-The pulse generating valve 5! is' no'rrnally 70 biased "and cut off by aresistance 'chain 52,253 'c'onnec'tedbetween terminals 46"'and 41;: the re- .1 sistance 53 being shunted by 'a-"by pass condenser 54." Wheri thepo'sitive voltage' 'prod-iiced by the combined wave-forms aicross resistancefl f-exceeds the cut' offbiasiiv'alve S I cGndiictsfind,

owing to .the positive feed-back coupling between the anode and control grid produced by the transformer 55, generates a half-sine-wave having a period controlled by the anode windin of transformer 55 and the stray capacities associated therewith. The valve is prevented from continuing its oscillation by the action of diode 56 connected across this winding which shortcircuits the negative swing of the oscillation and, provided the voltage across resistance 38 is rising fast enough, due to the applied saw-tooth wave, the valve will be biased by grid current flowing through resistance 5'! and the anode will be saturated by the time the next positive swing should occur. The valve 5| therefore generates a. pulse, half sine-wave in shape, whose timing is controlled the time at which the voltage across resistance 45 exceeds a given positive value. Since this voltage depends on the sum of the saw-tooth wave and speech voltages, the output pulse of valve 5|, which may be obtained from terminals 58 and 59 connected to a third winding of the transformer 55, will be time-phased by the speech signal. The time position at which the pulse occurs in the absence of a speech signal, that is, its unmodulated position, may be controlled by adjustment of the bias potentiometer 48 which varies the initial anode current of valve 40, thereby altering the initial voltage across resistance 45, and by suitably setting the bias potentiometer 43 the unmodulated positions of the pulses 1 and 8 Fig. 1,,curve c or d in the corresponding channel period for each of the four channels may be adjusted.

Fig. 4 shows details of the blocking circuit 21A. The pulses on conductor 28A .(Fig. 2) are applied to terminals 69 and BI, (in positive sense to terminal 60), which are shunted by a terminating resistance 62. Terminal BI is grounded and terminal 60 is connected to the control grid of a valve 63 through a condenser 54, and to the supressor grid of a valve ,65 through a delay line 66. The valve 63 is biased beyond the cut-off in such manner that pulses received from station B are unable to unblock it, but so that the much larger pulses transmitted from station A can unblock it and generate negative output pulses which are applied through condenser 6? to the control grid of the valve 65. This valve should be of the type having similar sensitivity of control by the control grid and suppressor grid. The cathode is biased positively so that the valve i normally cut-off by the suppressor grid, which is connected to ground through a resistanc 68, but not by the control grid. The received pulses, which are unable to afiect the valve 53, pass through the delay line 66 and unblock the valve 65, and corresponding negative output pulses are applied to the output terminal 69 through the condenser 10. The transmitted pulses, however unblock the valve 63 which then applies negative pulses to the control grid of the valve 65, thereby blocking it on the control grid, so that'the transmitted pulses which arrive through the delay grounded negative terminals for the high tension operating course (not shown) are 13 and 14. The anodes of the, valves 63 and 65 are connected to terminal I3 through load resistances l5 and 16. Appropriate positive bias voltage for the oathodes of the valves 63 and 65 are provided respectively by the pairs of resistances TI, 18 and 19, 80, the usual cathode by-pass condensers 8|, 82 being added. The grid leak resistance for valve 63 is designated 83. The resistance H is connected to a tapping point on-the cathode resistance 19 in order to provide a bias for the control grid which is somewhat less than the suppressor grid bias. 7

It may be added that, if desired, the valve 63 may be omitted, and blocking pulses for application to the control grid of the valve 65 may be obtained from' a suitable stage as the amplifier 26A (Fig. 2) and applied over conductor 84A. Conductors 84A and 84B are, of course, not required when the complete circuit of Fig. 4 is employed.

The circuit of the synchronising pulse separator 29A is shown in Fig. 5, and consists of two similarly arranged valve stages, corresponding elements of which are given the same designation numbers distinguished by the letters A and B. Each stage comprises a pentode valve 85 which should be of the type having equal sensitivity of control by the control grid and suppressor grid. The anode is connected through primary winding of a transformer 85 to the positive terminal 81 for the high tension operating source (not shown), the grounded negative terminal of which is 88. The cathode and screen grid are suitably biased by means of a series resistance chain 89, 99, 9| connected between terminals 8'! and 88 and cathode and screen grid by-pass condensers 92 and 93 are provided. The leak resistance for the control grid is 94 and pulses are applied to the control grid through a delay line 95.

The incoming pulses which include the close triplets of synchronising pulses, and also the channel pulses, is shown in Fig. 1 curve a, are applied to the input terminals 95 and 91, the latter being grounded. A terminating resistance 98 connects these terminals. Terminal S6 is connected to the input of the delay device 95A, and also to the suppressor grid of the valve 85A. The secondary winding of the transformer 86A is connected at one end through a resistance 99 to ground and at the other end to the suppressor grid of the valve 853. The secondary winding of the transformer 86B is connected to a pair of output terminals I and NH.

The pulses arefed direct to the suppressor grid of valve 85A and, though the delay line A which should delay the pulses for a time equal to the interval between the pulses of the triplet, to the control grid of this valve, which should be biased beyond the cut off so that a pulse only appears at its anode when two input pulses coincide. It Will be realised that only two output pulses can appear, which will be due to the second and third pulses of the triplet-coinciding with the delayed first and second pulses. A single random pulse may also appear due to accidental coincidence of two adjacent channel pulses.

The two output pulses are inverted by the transformer 85A and then valve 853 operates in a similar manner. The only signal which can then appear at the anode of this valve is a single pulse due to coincidence of the second pulse and the first delayed pulse as feed from transformer 86A,

atesgoasr 9 these pulsesrcorresponding to'the original second and-thirdpulses. The 'signal pulse thus obtained at terminals I and IN, after suitable delay or phase shift, will be used to synchronise the master generator23A when switoh'3'IA is closed. It will be noted that any random pulse produced at the output of valve 85A clue to co-incidence of two channer pulses 'iwill notpass :through the valve I lineiI06,'the'output end of which is short circuited. The anode of the valve I03 is connected to terminal-I04 through a load resistance. I01. Bias'for. the cathode of valve I02 "is provided by resistancesd'flfl and I09'c0nnected in seriesbetween'terminals I 04'and I05, a cathode by-pass condenser IIO beingincluded. Bias for the oathode of the valve I03 is provided by a resistance I II connected in series with the anode-cathode circuitof a' valve II 2. The control grid of this valve is connected to the anode of valve I03 through a condenser M3 to ground through a resistance I I4. The suppressor grid of the valve I03 is connected to the anode of valve I02 through a condenser 'I I5, and to ground through a resistanceI I6.

Input terminals II'I and'II8 are provided for the 'sawtooth waves from the genera-or 23A (Fig. 2). Terminal H8 is grounded and terminal H1 is connected to the control grid of valve I02 through a condenser H0, a grid resistance I20 beingalso supplied. An input terminal I2I for the pulses is connected to the control grid of the valve I03 through a condenser I22. A leak resistance I23 is provided forthis control grid. An output terminal I24 for the duration modulated pulses is connected to the cathode of valve I03.

Theoutput of the master saw-tooth wave generator 23 is applied in negative sense to terminal Ill and to the control'grid of valve I02. The valve is" a non-linear amplifier and is driven by the saw tooth wave from anode saturation to grid cut off. "A positive gating p lse will therefore be applied to the suppressor grid of valve I03, the duration of which is determined by the delay line I06. This pulse is followed by a similar negative pulse which is-produced by the fiy-back stroke of the saw -tooth wave and will have no effect on the valve I03. The timing of the positive ga ing pulse is governed by the bias supplied to valve I02.by the resistances I08 and I03. The received pulses areappli'ed to the grid of valve I03 from terminal I2I in apositive sense, .and this valve is normally-biased so that it remains cut off except when a positive gating pulse is applied to its I suppressor grid. The bias valve I03 is produced across the resistance III by the triode valve I I2 which is normally in a conducting condition, and required ahigher bias to cut it off than valve I03. When valve 1 03 conductsdue to a positive gating pulse from valve'l02 and a positive signal pulse from terminal I 2!, the resulting negative pulse from its anode cuts off valve II2, which remains 10? cut oiffor a time determined by the time constant of the elements IE3 and H4, and at least until the positive pulse on the suppressor grid of valve I03 disappears. It will be seen, therefore,

"that valve I03 does not conduct until a gating pulse applied to the suppressor grid and a signal pulse applied to the'control grid coincides. When this occurs, valve I03 remains conducting until the positive pulse on its suppressor grid disappears, thus giving rise to the desired duration modulated pulse. The duration modulated pulses maybe obtained from terminal I24 and are filtered'and amplified by elements 34A and 35A of Fig. 2 in order to recover the signal wave at terminal I 5A;

The arrangements for all the channels are the same-except that the bias of the valve I02 will be adjustedto time the gating pulses suitably in each casefor the channel concerned.

When the channel pulses for the two directions of operationarearranged as described with reference to Fig. 1 curve 12 the general arrangement of the system will be as shown in Fig; 2, but the channel pulsegenerators similar to ISA- have to be modified; Fig. flshows a channel pulse generator suitable for this system, and it is generally similar to Fig. 3, and employs a similarly arranged modulatingvalve 5! with associated ele-. ments which have been given the same designa tion numbers.

The modulating-signal waves-are applied to an input terminal I23which is-connected to the control grid of an amplifying valve -I26through a blocking condenser -I2l. The valve is provided with a grid leak resistance I28 and a cathode. bias network I 29. The anode of the valve is connected to terminaltfi through the primary winding of atransformer I30" having two secondary.

windings, one of which is connected to one pair of diagonal pointsof the bridgeof resistances 04,02, 03,00. --The.other secondary winding is centre tapped and connected to a full. wave rectifier -I3I:-:having aload resistance-I32, and

smoothing condenser -I33.-..A terminal I30 fo a grid bias source-(not shown) is connected to the centre tap of'thesecondarywindingof thetransformer I30, and-a by-pass condenserI35 is pro.- vided for this" source. The upper corner of the resistance bridge is connected to the grid wind.-

ing of the transformer through a blockingcondenser I30, and a corresponding grid leak resist-... ance 131 is connectedto the rectifier smoothingv condenser I33;

The turns-ratios of the two secondaryuwindei. ings of the transformer I30 should. be such .that

the bias voltage derived from the rectifier .I3I and developed across resistance -I32 is slightly greater than the peak value of the signalvoltage applied to the resistance bridge The saw tooth output from generator 23A is supplied as before in positivesense to terminal 38 and then.

to the bridge network which, in this case, ensures that no speech frequencies arefed backto. the saw-tooth. generator.. The instantaneous voltagerat the .junctionof resistance I31 and condenser I33 is thesum. of four voltages; namely the saw-tooth wave voltage, the signal voltage, the rectifier voltage slightly greater than the signal peak-voltage, and .thevoltage of the bias source connected to terminal I30. The action of valve age of the bias source connected to terminal I34 so that the pulses when unmodulated occur at the beginning of the channel period, as at E Fig. 1 curve I). As soon as a speech signal appears, the rectified bias then shifts the pulse so that its unmodulated position is nearly at the centre of the channel period. Modulation then takes place as described with reference to curve a. In the case of the channel pulse generator at station B, Fig. 1,'the rectifier I31 will be inverted, so that the corresponding rectified bias voltage has the op posite sign. The bias of the valve 5| will be adjusted so that the unmodulated position of the transmitted pulse is at .the end of the channel period, as at 8, curve b, Fig. 1, so that as soon as a speech si nal arrives, the unmodulated position wil be s i ted earlier o the middle the eriod.

It will be understood that no modification of the demodulating arrangements will be necessary since when the received pulses are modulated, they oscillate eoually about the means positions.

By reference to curve I) Fig. 1, it will, be seen that if the channel corresponding to period 4 is idle, and the channel corresponding to period 3 is transmitting, the pulse I may move close up to the pulses so that there might then be a close triplet of pulses which might produce a false synchronising signal. To avoid danger of this occurring, it would be preferable, when the system is operated in the manner expla ned with reference to curve b of Fig. 1, to employ a synchronising signal consisting of a close quadruplet of pulses. In such case the synchronising pulse generator 24A could take the form shown in Fig. 8. The saw-tooth waves from the master generator 23A are supplied to terminals I38 and I39. Terminal I38 is connected to the control grid of valve I40 which is biased by a cathode network MI. The primary winding of a suitable transformer I42 is connected between the anode and the positive terminal I43 for the high tension source (not shown), the grounded negative terminal of which is I44. A short pulse is generated in the secondary winding of the transformer I42 on the occurrence of each flyback stroke of the sawtooth wave. The secondary winding of the transformer is terminated by a resistance I45, and the short pulse is supplied to four parallel circuits including resistances I46, I 41, I48 and I49. Three of thesecircuits also include delay lines I50, II and I52.

The four parallel circuits are connected in pairs to the suppressor grid and control grid respectively of two valves I53A and I53B arranged exactly similarly. Each valve has the anode connected through a resistance I54 to terminal I43, and is suitably biased by a cathode network I55 so that it is in a conducting condition. The control grid and suppressor grid are respectively connected to ground through resistances I56 and I51. The anode is connected to an output terminal I58 through a condenser I59.

If t is the time spacing desired between adjacent pulses of th quadruplet, then the delay introduced by the delay lines should respectively be 1t, 2t and 3t. The transformer windings should be so connected that negative pulses are applied to the grids of the valves I53A and I53B. It will be seen that each valve will be blocked twice, first by the suppressor grid and afterwards by the control grid and accordingly four positive pulses spaced apart by the desired interval t will be obtained from terminals I58.

When a quadruple synchronising signal is used, the synchronising pulse separator 29A can be 12 similar to Fig. 5 but'with anextra valve stage and delay line arranged exactly like the valve stage 85A and delay line 95A.

What is claimed is:

1. A two-way multichannel electric pulse time modulation communication system for operation over a communication medium common to both directions'of transmission, comprising means for dividing the signalling time into a series of equal signalling periods, means for dividing each signalling period into a plurality of channel periods,

means for transmitting a train of pulses in each direction for each channel, the said trains of pulses being so timed that at any station of the system a transmitted and a received pulse occur during the corresponding channel period with a predetermined spacing between said transmitted and received pulse in their unmodulated condirtion, and means for time modulating the pulses of each train to a'depth greater than half said predetermined spacing so that at least part of the said channel period is common to the periods of maximum time excursion oi the said transmitted and received pulses.

2. A multichannel electric pulse time modulation system for two-way communication between two stations over a communication medium common to both directions of transmission, comprising at the first station, means'for transmitting a train of regularly repeated synchronising signals defining a succession of signalling periods, and means for transmitting in each signalling period a series of original pulses each corresponding to a different channel, and each occurring during a corresponding channel period; at the second station means controlled by the synchronising signals for transmitting in each signalling period a series of return pulses each corresponding to a different one of the said channels, and means for timing the return pulses so that each occurs during the corresponding channel period at the said first station with the predetermined spacing between the original'and the return pulse in their unmodulated condition at said. first station; and means at both stations for time modulating the pulses of each channel to a depth greater than I half said predetermined spacing so that the original and return pulses at the said first station each extends during modulation into a common portion of the corresponding channel period.

3. A system according to claim 1, including means for timing the original and return pulses so that when no signals are being conveyed in either direction, the original and return pulses divide each channel period into three approximately equal portions.

4. A system according to claim 2 including means for timing the original and return pulses so that when no signals are being conveyed in either direction, the original and return pulses occur at opposite ends of the corresponding channel period.

5. A system according to claim 4 comprising means for shifting the unmodulated position of either pulse approximately to the centre of the channel period as soon as signals commence to be conveyed in the corresponding direction.

6. A system according to claim 2, including means for adjusting the period of repetition of the pulses of each channel to be equal to the transit time of a pulse between the two stations, or to an integral multiple of the said transit time.

7. A system according to claim 2 further comprising at the first station a master periodic wave generator, means controlled by the said gener ator for generating a train of regular y repeated synchronising signals each consisting of a group of closely spaced pulses, means controlled by the said generator for generating and interleaving a plurality of trains of original channel pulses occurring during corresponding channel periods and means for transmitting the synchronising signals and channel pulses over the communication medium to the second station and at the second station a second master periodic wave generator, means for applying the synchronising signals to synchronise the second master generator, means controlled by the second master generator for generating and interleaving a plurality of trains of return channel pulses occurring during the corresponding channel periods, and means for transmitting the return channel pulses over the communication medium to the first station; and means at both stations for individually modulating each channel pulse train with a corresponding signal.

8. A system according to claim 7 comprising at each station means for receiving the channel pulses transmitted from the other stations, means controlled by the corresponding master generator for separating the trains of received channel pulses and directing each of them to a corresponding demodulating device, and means for recovering the corresponding modulating signal from each demodulating device.

9. A system according to claim 8 comprising means at each station for blocking the receiving means during periods when pulses are bein transmitted from the same station.

10. A system according to claim 8 further com- 14 prising at the second station means controlled by the second master generator for generating a second train of regularly repeated synchronising signals each consisting of a group of closely spaced pulses, and means for transmitting the second train of regularly repeated synchronising signals to the first station; and at the first station means controlled by the second train of synchronising signals for synchronising the master generator at the said first station.

CHARLES THOMAS SCULLY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,262,838 Deloraine Nov. 18, 1941 2,363,062 Hartley Nov. 21, 1944 2,395,467 Deloraine Feb. 26, 1946 2,410,350 Labin Oct. 29, 1946 2,412,974 Deloraine Dec. 24, 1946 2,418,116 Grieg Apr. 1, 1947 2,425,314 Hansell Aug. 12, 1947 2,425,315 Atwood Aug. 12, 1947 2,425,316 Dow Aug. 12, 1947 2,447,233 Chatterjea Aug. 7, 1948 2,457,986 Edson Jan. 4, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 584,457 Great Britain Jan. 15, 1947 596,700 Great Britain Jan. 8, 1948 604,130 Great Britain June 29, 1948 

